Kazuma Kobori leads Asia-Pacific Amateur after first round

Kazuma Kobori in action at the New Zealand Open. Photo / Photosport

A day after his 22nd birthday, Kazuma Kobori of New Zealand shot a 5-under 66 on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur in testing conditions at Royal Melbourne.

Kim Hyun-uk of South Korea and Australians Jasper Stubbs and Billy Dowling were tied for second after 68s.

The tournament winner receives an invitation to the 2024 Masters and a spot in next year’s British Open at Royal Troon, along with being exempt from qualifying for the British Amateur.

Kobori, who is from Christchurch, continued his stellar year. He teed off on the back nine in light rain and gusty winds and made a strong start with birdies on 10, 11, 12 and 13. He was 5-under after eight holes, and went even-par for the rest of a flawless opening round.

Kobori, the world’s 30th-ranked amateur, said he would hold off turning professional if he won on Sunday on the famed sand-belt course in southeast Melbourne. The tournament winner must retain their amateur status to play the two majors next year.

If he doesn’t win, Kobori said he would turn pro next week and play the Queensland PGA in Brisbane, having won the Australasian Tour qualifying school earlier this year.

“It’s a win-win situation for me. If I win this tournament, I get the privilege of playing two major championships, and if I don’t, then I get a head start on my professional career,” Kobori said.

Kobori has been in strong form, last week becoming the second New Zealander after Phil Tataurangi in 1992 to win the individual competition at the Eisenhower Trophy.

He’s also added the Australian amateur championship and the Western Amateur championship in the U.S.

Stubbs is the New Zealand amateur champion. The 22-year-old Australian’s front nine on the composite course included four birdies from the second to the seventh holes and one bogey at the par-3 third.

“I was pretty happy out there, it was windy from the start,” said Stubbs, who is one of 13 Australian players in the field. “A chip-in on two was pretty awesome from the front edge of the green to start the day — it was nice to start the birdie train.”

Stubbs is a member at nearby Kingswood golf club in Melbourne but said he’d played frequently at Royal Melbourne.

“I have a lot of friends who are members here, so I’ve come out since I was 14 or 15, and my younger sister (Piper) was also the women’s club champion so I’ve played with her,” Stubbs said. “I know the course pretty well but it’s the first time I’ve seen it firm and fast like this.”

Stubbs is part of a 120-player field from 41 countries and is aiming to become the fourth Australian to win the tournament following Harrison Crowe last year, Curtis Luck (2016) and Antonio Murdaca, who won at Royal Melbourne in 2014.

Former U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Lukas Michel of Australia shot 73.

Yuta Sugiura of Japan, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 15 in the world amateur ranking, had a difficult first round, shooting 79. He was in good company, among about 30 players who shot 79 or worse.

Last year, Crowe rallied from three strokes behind on the back nine and closed with an even-par 72 at Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand to beat Bo Jin by one shot.

The format is 72 holes of stroke play with a cut to 60 and ties after 36 holes. This is the second time the Asia-Pacific Amateur has been held at Royal Melbourne, which recently hosted the Presidents Cup in 2019.